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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24851269">A Little Less Lonely Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GerryCoco/pseuds/GerryCoco'>GerryCoco</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hayden_IsTrying/pseuds/Hayden_IsTrying'>Hayden_IsTrying</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goosey Collabs! [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is Bad at Feelings, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Little Shit, Cheating, College, Deceit | Janus Sanders is Bad at Feelings, Deceit | Janus Sanders is a Good Friend, Denial of Feelings, Everyone Is Gay, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sad with a Happy Ending, Teasing, Unhealthy Relationships, and they were ROOMMATES</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:29:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24851269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GerryCoco/pseuds/GerryCoco, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hayden_IsTrying/pseuds/Hayden_IsTrying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Virgil and Janus are roommates. Virgil is the epitome of everything Janus has been told to stay away from in his life, so why does he gravitate toward him so much? What he feels absolutely terrifies him. He's straight...or at least, he thought he was. Will Janus ever admit how he feels to Virgil? Will Virgil stay blinded by his own lack of self worth?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Goosey Collabs! [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Virgil Turner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>credit to logically-asexual on tumblr for the idea. Their prompts were for analogical, but me and Gerry really wanted to write something for anxeit.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Janus, I’m going to class!” Virgil called from his place at the front door. As it was, he was already 5 minutes late, but he didn’t seem all that bothered and Janus had given up nagging him to get to class on time after the first couple months of trying to convince him it would help.</p><p>“Alright, Virge, see you later!” the other man replied, his voice still groggy as he called out, not having to get up for his own class until at least the next hour since he didn’t have a morning class today unlike his roommate.</p><p>Virgil swung open the front door and headed out to start the trek to class, slamming the door behind him and leaving the apartment with a new wash of quiet.</p><p>Virgil was everything Janus’ parents had warned him about. He was late to literally everything he was invited to, messily presented, and unfocused considering his studies. Exactly what his mother would have called a human incarnate of a setback. Virgil on surface level seemed unambitious and didn’t seem to have any goals he actually stuck to.</p><p>His parents had always been very adamant when telling him that if he surrounded himself with people who had high levels of ambition and drive then he would directly benefit as the “Intelligent boy” that he was. </p><p>Now, he didn’t think this would be all that hard since he was going to a very good college that he could quite proudly say he worked for and that his parents had no input in which wasn’t something he couldn’t say for too much in his life. </p><p>However, when he’d been assigned a roommate, it was as if all of a sudden all his worst fears had become a reality. Virgil Turner was exactly what Janus had been told to avoid his entire life, however some part of him was weirdly drawn to him.</p><p>It didn’t take him too long to become Virgil’s friend and as he became attached to his roommate, he quickly prepared himself to be held back by the other man. It wasn’t as if he could get rid of him and if he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to stop talking to him.</p><p>Even if his parents would be rather scandalised at his new friend, he was quite happy to be placed with him. Virgil was quiet enough, he didn’t bring many people over all the time unless it was an occasional friend for study and the two had a nice balance. </p><p>……………..</p><p>Janus had just enough time to get to his second class of the day and have a few minutes to spare. He would think twice next semester when scheduling two classes one right after the other that were in two completely different buildings. It so happened that he and Virgil had this class in common. Virgil, however, was nowhere to be seen. </p><p>Janus huffed, exasperated although not really surprised to see that his roommate was yet again a no-show. It was only twenty minutes after class started that Virgil finally strolled in and sat down casually in the seat next to Janus that he had saved for him. </p><p>“How are you even late? You have a whole 3 hours between these classes while I have to dash like a madman to get here on time,” Janus whispered harshly to him, though still careful to keep his voice low. </p><p>“I was hungry so I went to get lunch and lost track of time I guess,” Virgil returned with a nonchalant shrug as he pulled his laptop out of his bag. Janus often wondered why he even bothered with the computer, all he ever saw Virgil doing on it was browsing through amazon and looking at tiktoks. They had a test the following week and Janus had no clue how Virgil intended on actually passing this class. </p><p>“Hey this weekend did you want to study together for the test?” Janus offered as they exited the classroom a few hours later. </p><p>“Eh, I’ll see if I need it but I’ll probably be good,” Virgil said as they made their way back to their dorm. “Besides, I have a date this weekend so don’t expect to see me around much,” he threw to Janus with a meaningful wink. </p><p>“Oh okay, cool,” Janus replied, somewhat flustered, though he wasn’t exactly sure why. Was he blushing? No it was probably just the wind making his cheeks feel this way.   </p><p>Virgil smirked and rolled his eyes, about to say something else before his phone rang. He looked down at the screen and grinned, quickly picking it up and quickening his pace slightly to get ahead so he could talk to whoever it was in private.</p><p>From the casual greeting of “Hey, babe,” and the rather affectionate smile Virgil had on his face, Janus guessed that it was his boyfriend. Then again, he could never be sure with Virgil.</p><p>Janus heard Virgil say something along the lines of “Sure, tonight? Yeah, my place is fine, Janus won’t mind,” and then they said a sickeningly loving goodbye before Virgil backtracked so they could walk together again.</p><p>“Excuse me, what won’t I mind?” Janus asked, narrowing his eyes at his roommate as Virgil smirked at him with that same goddamn expression that always won all the arguments. Sometimes Janus thought wars could be won with that ridiculously snarky, teasing expression.</p><p>“I was gonna invite Roman over this evening, I said you wouldn’t mind,” Virgil grinned, his smile clearly not enough to please Janus because he gave him a long deadpan look. </p><p>“So I guess tonight is when I finally meet this boyfriend of yours huh.” Janus had heard lots about this mysterious man Virgil was heads over heels for but had yet to have the pleasure of making his acquaintance.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lonely evenings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil's boyfriend comes over and Janus feels rather weird about it all. He then begins to have a realisation about himself.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Janus was busying himself making dinner when there was a knock at the door to their dorm apartment. Virgil flounced up from the couch where he was lounging to go answer it. From a ways behind him Janus could hear as Roman was invited in, followed by what sounded like the sounds of a make-out session. He wiped his hands on a dishtowel and went to join them briefly, waiting politely for the pair to release from their embrace. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil giggled as he turned to face his roommate. “Roman this is Janus, my roomie. Janus this is Roman, my boyfriend.” Roman turned his gaze to the smaller man and gave him a smirk and a “Sup.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, nice to meet you,” Janus returned with a smile, though it felt somewhat forced. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to my room so we won’t bother you,” Virgil said as he tugged Roman by the arm and pulled him to his bedroom. Janus watched as they went in and heard the door shut before he returned to the kitchen to continue with his half prepped dinner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He grabbed the knife to finish chopping the vegetables that he’d been busy with before Roman’s arrival, a small frown creasing his brow. The sight of Virgil and his boyfriend kissing had set off an odd feeling in his chest that he couldn’t quite place. He had nothing against the fact that Virgil was into guys, at least he hadn't thought so. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sure his parents were grade A homophobes, but he had always thought it a bit harsh and didn’t see the harm in letting people love who they wanted to since it was nobody else’s business anyway. Yet with the reaction he’d just had to the scene he’d witnessed, Janus couldn’t help but wonder if he had more internalised homophobia that he’d first thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head lightly, he wasn’t going to let this bother him. If Virgil liked the guy then Janus was going to respect that and be happy for them. He heard sounds of laughing and teasing coming from Virgil’s room. Well, he thought, so long as they were quiet enough anyway. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>**************</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of that evening had gone... </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> well… Janus couldn’t say he was best pleased, but his roommate had fun and Roman had ended up staying the night. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning as Janus came into the kitchen, he had to repress a noise somewhere between a tired groan and an embarrassed huff. He’d come across Roman about to leave for his next class, but Virgil was only wearing one of Roman’s hoodies and a pair of boxers which wasn’t exactly new, but the fact that he was also kissing the other man goodbye somehow made it...weirder?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Over the time Roman was around, Janus found himself more and more upset with himself over how he felt about Virgil doing any kind of romantic act with his boyfriend. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One evening, Virgil had asked him to leave the apartment so he and Roman could have dinner and Janus reluctantly agreed. When he got a text from Virgil saying they were done, he returned to them cuddling on the couch together and he didn’t quite feel disgusted… but more just sad.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seeing Virgil there with someone else who made him happy...it hurt and he didn’t like that. Virgil had his own life. It was impossible for Janus to expect him to put his whole life on hold to please his own agenda.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d rushed to his room and found himself hiccuping out angry tears into his pillow. He wasn’t even sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was crying, but he was. There were no tears at first, just dry heaving sobs, but eventually it evolved into crying. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what was even wrong and it was driving him insane. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, the real problems surfaced when Virgil came in from a date with Roman one day very upset because the other had broken up with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For the rest of that evening, he’d lay against Janus, curled up next to him; his arms latched around one of Janus’, hugging tightly. Janus put on a movie and Virgil fell asleep halfway through, his expression finally clear of the puddle of pain and self doubt the breakup had left him wallowing in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The movie continued to play, but Janus realised that he wasn't watching it anymore. He was looking down at his roommate. Looking down at him with a fond expression until he snapped himself out of it, his expression indescribable by nothing other than stunned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He would never admit it, but just before he’d snapped out of it, had it been a couple seconds later, he would have quite happily placed a kiss to Virgil’s forehead and whispered a quiet word of comfort... So maybe he was a little gay… But what could he do about it!?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…………..</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Later that week Janus was in class and as usual Virgil was a nowhere to be seen. He’d been out the night before and Janus huffed internally in disapproval. He hadn’t come back to their dorm but Janus had no doubt that Virgil had skipped his other class of the day and he would only be seeing him that evening and even then. At this point he wondered why Virgil even bothered being in college if he wasn’t actually going to focus on his studies. Partying and drinking were no way to show commitment to academic success and Janus was yet again left wondering why he even bothered with his roommate. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was halfway through the class during the fifteen minute break that Virgil appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to Janus. “Sup nerd,” he said, looking altogether rather terrible, “Yeah I know I’m late. I’ve got a massive hangover and I don’t want to be here so I don’t want to hear any of it.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus gawked at him, surprise and exasperation running through his mind as he shook his head. There was however another feeling that thumped in his chest at the sight of Virgil, fondness perhaps? That didn’t make sense though so he shook his head again, trying to clear his mind. It was at this moment that the professor passed them by, handing back the corrected copies of the exam they had done a few weeks prior. They reached for their copies as their names were called and Janus settled back to look his copy over. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus was very pleased with himself, the few errors he had made were minimal and due more to the ambiguity of the question than because he’d truly not known the answer. “You happy with what you got?” Virgil asked him, his copy already flipped over in front of him, having clearly not bothered to look further than seeing what his grade was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah I got a 93%,” Janus replied, quite proud of himself. He’d studied a lot for that exam and was happy his efforts had paid off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey nice job, I got 95%,” Virgil said, texting away at his phone, completely unbothered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At that moment Janus experienced what could only be described as a proper face twitch. Virgil seemed so indifferent to what Janus felt as a grave injustice. He looked back at his copy, utter disbelief mixing with a net sense of frustration at how he could have possibly gotten a lower grade than the sorry excuse for a student sitting next to him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey you done with your copy? I’ll go bring them back up front,” Virgil said, snapping Janus out of his daze. He wanted to be mad at Virgil, or at least properly ticked off at him. But as he looked up and their eyes met, all sense of those feelings were gone in an instant. “Yeah sure, thanks,” Janus replied, feeling more and more confused by his emotions as he watched Virgil get up to bring their papers to the professor’s desk before coming back to his seat as the class resumed, the break now over. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. ‘Catching feels’</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Janus finally makes a realisation about himself that was long overdue and realises something might be off with Virgil.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil was slowly driving him crazy and while Janus couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he was doing, he was doing something. The next time something like this happened was when Janus and Virgil were at home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Janus had been ranting for a while now to the point where he honestly couldn't remember where he'd started out or what he'd been talking about in the first place. He looked up at Virgil who was sitting on his phone and suddenly flushed a light pink, his expression slowly going from passionate to bashful and slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, Virgil… I think I started ranting there," he chuckled nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Virgil looked up from his phone and smirked before looking back down at the device and resuming his scrolling. "Nah, it's cute." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that simple comment, Janus felt his whole face set on fire. That, paired with Virgil's smirk, he felt like he might die then and there, so he shot up in a rather stiff way and marched out of the room, babbling an excuse about homework like the useless gay he was quickly finding himself to be. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over the days, situations like these kept happening. There was another where he was texting Virgil and made a cynical comment about human existence before quickly trying to backtrack. He wished he could forget about how it had all gone down for the sake of his dignity, but he remembered it vividly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Please don't tell anyone I said that, God I sound like a complete pessimist.' </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, Virgil caught him before he had the chance and replied with a quick witted </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Aw, why not? You're just like me, nerd, accept it already.'</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds of him trying to recover and a squeak not unlike an anime schoolgirl, he managed to type out a rather pitiful reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Am I really??? Is that good??' </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He'd gotten no response and felt immensely stupid afterwards. The next day he sulked his way into class, still feeling stupid from the day before. He sat down at the back, sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor when for the </span>
  <em>
    <span>first</span>
  </em>
  <span> time in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire </span>
  </em>
  <span>semester, Virgil was on time to class. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He walked inside and saw him, frowning softly to himself before he walked over and sat next to him between the desks, laying his head on Janus' shoulder and Janus almost burst into tears. It felt like Virgil was both making his heart whole and simultaneously ripping it apart and he just… didn't know what to do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happened again the next day. Janus woke up feeling like shit and headed to class, telling himself angrily that if Virgil wasn't in class that day when he should be, he was fucking done with the guy and he'd give up this stupid pining. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Of course, as usual, he didn't come to class and Janus scoffed, muttering to himself as he headed to his next one. "Okay, fine, cool. I've decided. He won't put in an effort, so I don't like him anymore. It's over."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Except, Virgil did show up for the next period and Janus still gazed fondly over at him, smiling and blushing without even noticing that he was doing it. It was at this exact moment that Janus knew he was completely done for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was all very confusing to Janus. All his life he’d thought of himself as being straight, and for the most part he still held that stance. However it was getting harder and harder to deny that all signs pointed to him having a crush on Virgil. So maybe he was gay? A little anyway at least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was made all the more evident to him when Virgil got a new boyfriend. This time around he couldn’t pretend that what he was feeling wasn’t jealousy, at least in some form. He was constantly feeling protective and somewhat possessive and he didn’t like it one bit. What made this even worse was how hard he had to try to not let any of this show in front of Virgil. He preferred death to admitting he was ‘catching feels’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>*************************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Virgil for the most part didn’t really notice anything off with Janus. Other than the odd comment here and there, he was too busy being enamoured by Logan, the totally hot nerd he’d snatched up at a party a few weeks ago. Sure it somewhat felt like he was just repeating his usual pattern with guys, usually nothing very meaningful and mostly just the physical stuff. But he honestly didn’t really care anymore, he hated feeling lonely so this was a better alternative in his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However just like all his previous relationships it was very short lived. After dating for a little over a month Logan abruptly broke up with him during a party they had gone to. Needless to say Virgil hadn’t taken it well and had imbibed a generous amount of alcohol throughout the night. He didn’t get overly drunk though as the party was broken up early due to a fight amongst a number of party goers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he made his way back to the apartment he felt extremely melancholy, the alcohol having become more of a depressant than anything else at this point. He was angry at himself for being dumped yet again. He hoped that Janus would be asleep because he didn’t want to be lectured yet again on his romantic choices, he didn’t want to give his roommate that satisfaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was not particularly late however, Janus was still in the living room when Virgil arrived. He’d been binge watching a show and had semi fallen asleep when he woke with a start to the sound of the front door opening. He sat up confused and looked at the time, then saw Virgil stumble away to his room. Rolling his eyes, Janus went to the kitchen to make him a glass of water. It had been clear by </span>
  <span>Virgil’s demeanour that he’d been drinking and likely hadn’t been hydrating properly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Janus stood outside his door when he thought he heard a faint sound of crying coming from Virgil’s room. He knit his eyebrows and knocked before opening the door. “Virge, are you okay?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Stay with me?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil opens up about his relationship issues and Janus continues to question what he really wants to be to Virgil.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil’s head shot up from where he was hunched over looking at his phone with a pillow hugged to his chest to look over at Janus who was hovering awkwardly just in front of the doorway. He slumped back down, his head falling back into the pillow as he burst into tears all over again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No…” he mumbled, taking a shaky breath, his chest heaving with the effort of trying to calm himself down. “No, I'm not. To elaborate, I’m starting to think I’m fucking unlovable. I date so many guys and-...and…” he stopped again as a whole new cascade of tears and self hatred hit him like a punch in the face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m so tired of falling for guys who stay with me for less than a month before they break up with me for reasons they don’t feel the need to disclose… Some of them don’t even bother, they just ghost me and then cheat until I figure it out…” he ranted, muffled sobs cutting off his words until he just sighed, seeming to give up with a defeated whimper. “Why is it so much to ask to be loved? Is there something wrong with me?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? No!” Janus exclaimed, then hesitated for a moment, “Well, I mean...” He’d always been a rather terrible liar, and the truth was that he couldn’t help but wonder why Virgil kept going through relationship after relationship. Not only that, he seemed to be the one who was usually getting dumped and rarely the opposite. He didn’t want to sugarcoat the fact that maybe Virgil was part of the problem, at least a little bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This however was poor timing on his part as what Virgil needed at that moment was empathy and understanding, not to be put into question when feeling at his lowest. He sat up abruptly, causing Janus to flinch and spill water over himself. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he roared at Janus, his sadness replaced with boiling rage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus was taken aback for a moment, realising his error in speaking his mind out loud. He tried to shake the water off his hands as he set the glass down so he wouldn’t drop it. “I.. I just… no that’s not… I mean…” he stammered, trying to put his thoughts into words in a way that wouldn’t offend his roommate any further. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil swallowed hard, his fists clenching tightly and then slowly relaxing. “Then...what did you mean?” he questioned, holding back the biting tone that threatened to spill back over into his words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> “Because usually you...you pride  yourself on being honest. Does this mean you’ve just… thought I was the problem this whole time? Every break up...You know what, you’re right, I should probably just stop trying at this point. It became less entertaining and more like a sad reality tv show after the first three times I came home crying, huh?” he laughed pitifully, his voice spilling over with self hatred.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Honestly, Virgil was hurt, he knew that, but it had gotten to the point where he wasn’t sure he even had the energy to be hurt anymore. Janus was supposed to be his friend and now he not only felt like shit, he also felt like it was his fault which only made it hurt so much more. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus bit his lip as he chose his next words carefully. “It’s just… it seems like you’re always dating the same type of guy. They all seem rather nice, but they also seem kind of shallow. I can help but notice a pattern is all,” he explained. He didn’t truly think Virgil was the problem, not really, he just seemed to fall for guys who weren’t the best for him. It wasn’t who he was as a person, it was what he did that seemed the root of it all. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look I think you deserve to know the truth. Or at least, I mean, this is my perspective on the topic so take it as you wish. But if you keep doing the same thing then it isn’t exactly surprising that you wind up with similar results.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil sniffled, pausing for a second as he hesitantly sat up, drawing his knees to his chest. “I...I guess...usually, I just don’t have the confidence to approach guys and when they ask me, I take what I can get because I guess I don’t ever think I could do any better…” he trailed off, rubbing at his arm and swallowing hard. “I...I’m scared of being lonely...I’m so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>sick</span>
  </em>
  <span> of being lonely…” he sighed heavily, his tone heavy and exhausted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It all builds up, Janus… You get used to having someone there and then...they’re just not. It’s so disheartening and yet I can’t stop dating them because that leaves me just curled up in the dark, crying into my pillow because I can’t sleep with my thoughts running so fast. So I date, I drink and I act like everything is okay…” he sighed, looking up at him. “I haven’t been okay for a long time, Janus.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh and what am I, chopped liver?” Janus retorted, trying desperately to lighten the mood. This pulled an almost smile from the sad-eyed boy. He sat down next to Virgil and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Look, for what it’s worth, I’m here for you okay. I know I’m just your roommate but I’m not going anywhere and you always know where you can find me.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah the library because you’re such a nerd,” Virgil smirked with a sniffle. Janus rolled his eyes fondly as Virgil pulled him into a hug, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders to return the hug. Once again he had a barely repressible urge to kiss the side of Virgil’s head, but managed to hold himself back just in time. “You should probably get some rest,” Janus said as they finally pulled away from each other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you… can you just stay with me for a while? I really don’t want to be alone right now…” Virgil pleaded with big round eyes. Janus couldn’t say no to him when he looked so sad and he honestly wouldn’t have wanted to leave him even if he hadn’t asked. He nodded in response and Virgil lay down on his bed, eyeing for Janus to join him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus pulled up the comforter to cover him before lying down next to Virgil. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do but didn’t have to wonder long as Virgil curled himself against his shoulder, his breathing deep and tired. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you…” Virgil mumbled tiredly, “Sorry I snapped at you…” he added before Janus shushed him and they both fell asleep. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. ‘What? Are you jealous?’</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil and Janus wake up the next morning and Virgil does something that makes Janus truly began to question himself. Was it really for the better..?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hiya, everyone! My apologies for not uploading last week, I'm aware that I missed an upload, I just had a whole lot going on that took up a lot of my time. To compensate for this, I'm going to upload two chapters this week instead of one, so sit down get comfy and enjoy the double upload! (: </p>
<p>- Hayden</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning when Virgil woke up, the bed was empty and Janus was gone. He frowned at this, pulling himself out of bed with a pout on his face, his hand held to his now pounding head. He walked over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup. He then walked over to where Janus was sitting on the couch and put his mug down before he flopped down next to him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus looked over his laptop and Virgil looked back, giving him a weak almost pained smile. It wasn’t like the confident ones he usually wore when he told a joke or made a flirty comment. Virgil looked kind of like he was in pain and Janus had to assume that it was probably the hangover. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t look too good this morning,” Janus commented, a note of worry in his voice. “This pace really isn’t very good for your system or for your studies for that matter. Maybe a break from the dating game and all the partying would be good for you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Are you jealous?” Virgil smirked, “Janus, I’m sorry, but you’re starting to sound like a real stick in the mud right about now,” he commented, picking up his coffee cup and taking a large sip of the dark liquid. “Maybe you should let yourself go a little bit more. It’s not like you get out much.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus sputtered in indignation, feeling oddly flushed and flustered by what Virgil was implying. “Excuse you, but I am very satisfied with how I spend my time,” he scoffed as he tried to regain some self composure. “Unlike you I am very okay with remaining single for the time being. I have more important things to attend to anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, do you now?” Virgil smirked, “I don’t know, Janus, I’ve never seen you bring a girl home at all, putting aside friends because I can empathise with not wanting too many of those, but in all the time we’ve been living together, you’ve never once had a date. I mean, I don’t see the problem, Janus. You’ve got the cute nerd thing going for you, girls totally dig that. Guys too if you were interested in experimenting,” he winked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now Janus’ face burned bright red, he didn’t like Virgil teasing him about this. “I’d prefer you refrain from making suggestions about my dating life or lack thereof,” he spoke curtly, closing his laptop and getting up from the couch. “I’m just not interested in dating nor ‘experimenting’ as you put it,” he said as he made to go to his room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil followed him, taking his laptop from under his arm and putting it on the table, Janus going to protest, stepping back away from him until he hit the wall behind him. Virgil continued to skulk towards him and once he was close enough to be heard with just a whisper, he adjusted the other man's collar, his eyes flickering down and then back up to Janus’. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe, or maybe you just have yourself convinced it’s not worth it. Let me tell you something, okay? When you first put yourself out there, you might regret it. I’m not going to lie to you, but with the way you’re looking at me right now, I’d say you’re pretty interested in something,” he smirked, looking up at him as Janus' breath hitched softly. Virgil smiled, leaning forwards to close the gap between them; kissing him surprisingly gently, his lips soft against the other's. He lingered there for a few seconds, feeling Janus hesitantly try to return it before he pulled back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus seemed to be in a daze for a few seconds before he snapped out of it, grabbed his laptop and rushed out, retreating to his room. He was clearly trying to pretend it never happened, but the bright red flush blooming on his cheeks and how dilated his pupils were when he was staring at him told Virgil he didn’t hate it as much as Janus would want him to believe. Virgil wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing though. He watched him go with a rather concerned gaze, picking up his coffee cup and curling up on the couch. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once in his room Janus slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure. He leaned his back against the door and slid down to the floor, his heart hammering in his chest. He was screwed, he was royally screwed now. All doubts and questions he might have had about his romantic inclinations had been answered with that simple gesture of Virgil kissing him. It had been wildly unexpected and he was reeling from the moment, his lips still tingling from the sensation of Virgil’s. This was wrong, so wrong, in so many ways. Or was it? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His next class was only in two and half hours but he decided he couldn’t wait until then to leave the apartment. He needed a change of scenery to try to clear his head and felt like he would go insane if he stayed in the apartment any longer, knowing that Virgil was only a room’s distance away from him. Packing his bag, Janus crept out of his room quietly, heading straight for the door and not looking back at Virgil as he shut it behind him on his way out. As he walked towards the library he couldn’t help but feel like a coward, but the thought of facing Virgil scared him even more.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil made the decision right there and then to let Janus lead with this. He’d heard him leave the house and it really wasn’t looking good. Virgil had definitely moved way out of Janus’ comfort zone. And yet...he didn’t feel bad. If he could kiss Janus again…he would. Obviously the other man had a lot going on and Virgil felt slightly bad for disrupting what appeared to be perfect order in the man’s brain, but Janus truly seemed like he didn’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> fun. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They had the occasional movie night together, but apart from him and Janus’ teachers, he wasn’t totally sure the other man socialised with anyone else. He knew Janus had had a first kiss. He wasn’t that bad, but that was back in high school. The man had seriously gone through this much of college with no action whatsoever and Virgil couldn’t help but feel like he might have actually given Janus the nudge he needed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The problem here however was that Virgil was also pretty sure Janus had gotten the wrong idea. Instead of it looking like Virgil was expressing romantic interest in him like he intended it to look, he quickly realised that it wouldn’t look like that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It would in fact look like he was taking advantage of Janus, teasing and making fun of him for not being as socially open as he was. In reality, Virgil thought it was cute. He liked… the warmness that Janus occasionally gave off, but from day one Janus had said he was straight, so Virgil had to get over his feelings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Janus was straight and he’d just kissed a straight guy, well first of all, it wouldn’t be the first time. But the main point was, he was going to let Janus lead from here. If he wanted to talk about it, they could. If he never wanted Virgil to bring it up again, he wouldn’t. It would be that simple.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The cold shoulder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Janus becomes frustrated with the events of the previous day and lashes out at Virgil. Will they manage to pull themselves together and mix their mess or continue to wallow in self pity?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>No matter how hard he tried, Janus just couldn’t concentrate on anything. During his entire time while he was at the library and even now during his class. It irked him to no end that this was what was occupying his mind.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Gay panic was the ever lowest priority on his list and it wasn’t on his watch that he was going to let it affect his academic performance. Yet this was easier said than done as he found himself unable to process a single word the professor said during the entire class. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once it was over, Janus debated whether or not he really wanted to go back to the apartment. He wished he had a way of knowing whether Virgil was going to be there or not because he really didn’t want to see the other man at that moment. In the end he decided to take his chances and headed back to the apartment, ready to face Virgil if he had to. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cautiously he entered the apartment and saw that Virgil was still in the living room. He tensed for a moment at the sight of his roommate. Noticing that he had entered Virgil raised his head and smiled at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Virgil said before turning his attention back to his phone. Janus frowned, unsure what to make of this reaction, or lack thereof rather. He’d expected for Virgil to say something, but instead he was just doing what he was always doing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus went to the kitchen and made himself dinner then went to the living room to eat while he watched a show on his laptop. He kept waiting for Virgil to say something, to make a comment about what had transpired earlier. Instead it appeared as though he was pretending as if nothing had happened. This thought somehow made him even more mad. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil had said that he was going to let Janus lead the way, but he couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Hey how was your day? Did your class go well?” he asked, trying to sound kind and interested. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Janus responded briskly, “No, thanks to you.” The response was snappier than he’d intended it to be. He had been on edge all day and couldn’t keep it in anymore.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil flinched slightly at the harsh tone in his voice, "Janus… I'm sorry… Look, I never meant to upset you, it’s just… You kissed back! It seemed like you wanted me to kiss you from the body language you were giving me, I must have misinterpreted it, but you've been eyeing me for weeks. You seemed really jealous when I was hanging out with my last boyfriend too! I didn't notice it before, but come on, Janus. I'm sorry, but you were giving me such mixed signals. If you're not willing to admit you are at least a little bit at fault too, I don't know what to tell you," he huffed, crossing his arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus was not in the right mindset to think rationally much less have a reasonable conversation with the person who was at the root of all his neurosis. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re roommates and I care for you as a friend. And even if I did like you, I’m not about to learn the hard way the reason why you keep being dumped,” he spat out, eyes flaring. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As the last words came out, the weight of what he’d just said hit Janus like a tidal wave. The blood rushed from his face as he turned to look at Virgil. “Oh gosh, no, I don’t… I didn’t mean that Virgil…” he tried to say but he could see from Virgil’s face that the damage had been done. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil took a shaky breath and nodded, "Glad you got how you really feel out into the open… I hope you feel better now," he mumbled, forcing a weak smile on his face as he glanced at him before he stood up and walked out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He left the dorm after that and didn't come back even after that evening, choosing to stay with a friend. One of his few female friends, since the idea of running into an ex right now sounded like something that would make him want to wrench his own heart out of his chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Virgil finally came back to the apartment, he didn’t talk to Janus, he went straight to his room and locked the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ever since Virgil had left, Janus had been a mess. He felt absolutely awful for what he’d said, especially since it wasn’t even remotely true. He’d just been so stressed and confused and couldn’t even begin to unravel where all that venom he’d projected onto Virgil had come from. The worst part was that he knew that Virgil thought he’d said the truth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been on and off crying ever since Virgil had left. He hadn’t even had the strength to get up the next morning and for the first time in his life had skipped a class, spending the day instead curled up in his bed under the covers. It was only when the threat of dehydration hit him that he convinced himself to get up and go to the kitchen to get some water. He managed to down a tall glass before he found himself crying all over again. He set the glass down on the counter before curling up on the floor against the cabinets. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil heard him from a distance and sighed, standing up and putting his books aside, shutting his door behind him and slowly and reluctantly padding out of his room towards the kitchen. He walked in right past Janus and pulled himself onto the counter, his own tired eyes looking down at Janus. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So, are you still moping about how I kissed you? Because if you're having an identity crisis, I'll leave for longer. Don't want you accidentally getting feelings for someone who's so used to getting dumped, do we?" he scoffed, turning on the kettle and grabbing some hot chocolate powder from the cupboard, a deadpan expression on his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus simply buried his face in his knees, not having the courage nor the energy to respond. Besides, he deserved Virgil’s comments, it was only right to have them thrown in his face. He tried to keep his breathing in check, but he was having a rather hard time at doing so. He hugged his knees tighter, trying to make himself smaller and wishing that he could just disappear. All he wanted was for Virgil to get what he came for and leave him and his miserable self to wallow alone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Virgil finished making the drink, sighing softly as he put some marshmallows and cream into it, leaning down to Janus' level and placing it on the floor next to him. He didn't say anything, instead heading back to his own room silently without another word. He was still upset. Very much so, but he thought better than to let things get any worse</span> <span>and</span> <span>if he needed to be the one to save this god awful situation, then so be it. He closed his door and locked it, opening his books again and resuming his studying so he could keep his mind distracted. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Virgil was gone Janus finally lifted up his head, heaving a sigh. It took him a moment to notice the mug sitting next to him. He stared at it, then looked towards the direction of Virgil’s room. The kind gesture was almost too much, yet it was also so very much appreciated in that moment. Janus saw it as a sort of peace offering and hoped that it was such. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smiled sadly at the sight of the marshmallows, they were a comforting touch and he felt so much like a little kid in that moment. When he finished it he cleaned the mug out and set it to dry. He then went to get his laptop and settled himself in the living room to try to get some work done. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. ‘We need to talk’</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Janus and Virgil realise that they miss each other and whether they like it or not, they're going to need to repair their relationship and actually talk to each other.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally! We've reached the end b o i s! Thank you for joining us along on the ride, this was another super fun one to write, so we hope you all enjoy the last chapter. This one is a tad longer than the rest, so sit tight and enjoy the ride.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Virgil left his room again that evening looking even more tired than earlier. He made some instant ramen, not looking to stick around any longer than he needed to. He did however put a little note on the fridge for Janus to find. He went back to his room quickly however, not wanting to be in the room when Janus found it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus had seen Virgil go into the kitchen to only exit it a few minutes later, returning yet again to his room. He wanted to talk to Virgil so badly, but he was also terrified that he would unintendedly say the wrong thing and make things worse. He hadn’t eaten all day so he went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. As he went to open the fridge he noticed a little note that had likely just been placed there as he hadn’t noticed it earlier. With a shaky hand he picked it up and read it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>look, I'm not going to pretend I'm not upset because we both know I am, but we need to talk about this at some point, so… let me know when you're ready to do that. I'm...missing your nerdy rants.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>-Virgil.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus felt his heart tighten in his chest at sight of the words. The fact that Virgil had included the last part gave him hope that maybe things were going to be okay. Subconsciously he stuck the note in his pocket and decided that ready or not, he was going to go talk to Virgil. He then found himself in front of Virgil’s door, steeling himself for a moment before knocking. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn't long before Virgil came to the door, opening it hesitantly before he pulled it open and looked out at Janus. His eyes were wide with caution and his hair a complete mess, but he didn't seem to care all that much. "Yeah?" he asked, his voice rough with disuse. Books were piled on his desk and bed as he'd clearly been studying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Part of Janus stayed surprised at the sight of the books. So the man did study after all. He then refocused on Virgil, blinking multiple times as he couldn’t seem to utter a word. There was a faint blush spreading across his cheeks as he mumbled nonsense. “I uh, I… I’m so sorry Virgil, for everything,” Janus stated simply, hanging his head in shame. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah… You didn't start it though… you told me you were straight, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up," Virgil sighed, leaving the door open as a silent invitation for Janus to come inside. His room was cleaner than usual, the usual organised mess replaced with books and absolute cascades of notes in varying degrees of handwriting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> "I've liked you for a while, I told you that I thought you were cute several times and I shouldn't have even done that really… to put it simply, I apologise for making you uncomfortable by kissing you," he sighed. "Any and all flirting will stop. I'm sorry." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look,” Janus started, “This isn’t your fault. Clearly I’ve been neglecting the emotional and romantic aspects of my life for far too long and am paying for it now. Truth is, I haven’t exactly known what to make of all your comments over time. Then I suddenly found myself jealous whenever you had your boyfriends around and it all confused me so much.” He stopped, he wasn’t quite sure what to say anymore. Looking into Virgil’s soft eyes, he leaned forward and pulled him into a hug, holding him tight against his chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Janus… No offence, buddy, I say this with all the kindness in my heart. You're a complete mess," Virgil commented, hugging him back and hearing Janus huff in response, too tired to argue. "Come on, let's go sit on the couch and talk this out properly," Virgil sighed, leading the way and then sitting down opposite Janus on the couch, Virgil's back against the armrest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Janus, I know these are questions you might not be able to answer, but were you accidentally leading me on? Or were you actually interested in me and changed your mind? Or not at all? Excuse me for being confused, but I get more mixed signals from you than if the whole animal kingdom tried out echolocation," he sighed, crossing his arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus ran a hand through his hair and gave Virgil an unsure smile. “I’ve been giving myself rather mixed signals honestly. I think I’ve been in denial about a lot of things and didn’t realise any of it properly up until… until you kissed me.” He bit his lip, looking up at Virgil’s face. He was looking at him with an eyebrow raised so Janus continued. “I kept thinking that I only cared for you as a friend, that you were my roommate and that it was only normal that I worry about your well being and the people you hung out with. Then you kissed me and I realised that I’d mislabelled my feelings this whole time. This is all so new to me Virgil, my thoughts and my emotions are all over the place and I don’t what’s up or down anymore…” he trailed off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Then let me help you figure it out…" Virgil smiled, carefully linking their fingers together and lifting his gaze to look up at Janus. "I'm here, Janus; so are you. You don't have to do this alone. I don't want to be world's away from you anymore." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil gently pressed his hand to Janus' cheek, looking into his eyes with a soft and inviting look. Virgil's heart was racing. Finally making an actual effort to reach out to the other man and tell him that he wanted to help was nerve-wracking and the fear of rejection was raging in his chest. However, it was only just held back by how Janus was looking at him with his familiar honey brown eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus swallowed, the feeling of Virgil’s hand against his cheek was soft and comforting in a way he’d never felt before. He could feel tears prickling in his eyes and it took all he had to not start crying again. The knot in the pit of his stomach just kept tightening as his mind raced. Everything he’d thought he knew was crashing around him and he felt as though the only thing holding him together was the sight of Virgil across from him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at Virgil for a moment, silent as he struggled to get his next words out. Part of him felt crazy for what he was about to say, but he also felt as if his life depended on it in that moment. “Virgil,” Janus spoke in a shaky voice, “Would you… could you… kiss me, again… please…?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil’s lips quirked up to form a smile, his thumb swiping gently along his cheek. He then nodded, carefully shuffling forward and catching Janus' jaw between his fingers, leaning forward and closing his eyes before their lips met together once more. It took the other man a few moments to snap out of his own nervous trance, but Janus actually kissed back, being a lot more ready for it now that he'd asked for it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil pushed forward very gently, his arms moving to wrap around Janus' neck as he moved to kiss him a little deeper, eventually pulling back. His eyes immediately flickered over Janus' expression as he tried to gauge a reaction, half expecting him to rush off again "Was that okay?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few seconds for Janus to process the words. He nodded in reply, clearing his throat as his breath caught. “Yeah, I… I liked that.” Just as he admitted this thought to himself Janus felt the tension melt from his body. He felt himself lean forward to kiss Virgil once again, a hand snaking up the back of his neck as he ran his fingers through the thick strands of Virgil’s hair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Virgil slipped an arm comfortably around Janus’ waist, pulling them closer together. The kiss continued to deepen, each of the men putting more of himself into this embrace. While for the most part Janus couldn’t bring himself to think of anything but Virgil’s lips against his own, one simple thought remained; that he’d completely and utterly fallen for Virgil, and he felt so stupidly happy about it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the two of them finally parted, Virgil looked up at him and sighed shakily. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He smiled, shuffling forward to rest his head on Janus' chest. "You could have at least taken me on a date before you made me fall for you," he chuckled fondly, pecking his lips, unable to pull the wide smile from his face.  "But I'll be honest with you… I wouldn't want it any other way." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Janus smirked, rolling his eyes, "And you call </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> a dork." He grinned, kissing Virgil's forehead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, maybe we can just both be dorks together?" Virgil grinned cheekily, seeming to satisfy Janus who nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. That sounds perfect."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
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